Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Joseph William Mundey was born in 1862 in Yokshire England. He arrived in Queensland sometime after 1891 noting he married Jessie Watson on 17 Jan 1887 in Queensland. However, it appears he separated from his wife not long after and went on to have 5 children with May Bruce Hewison (nee Pickett) between 1892 and 1902.

(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 452; Wikitree Genealogy profile listing).

When Joseph William Mundey enlisted in 1899 in the 1st QMI and his details were published with the rank and file in The Brisbane Courier, 18 Nov 1899, he was recorded as Private J. W. Mundey, married, Porphyry Creek, Sandy Creek, Charters Towers. In the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 76, it is noted he directed part of his pay to Mrs. J. W. Mundey c/- Mr. R. Russell, Charters Towers. He was invalided from service due to rheumatism and returned to Brisbane where he was discharged on 2 Jul 1900.

Joseph William Mundey was born in 1862 at Yorkshire, England, a son to Thomas Charles Mundey and Mary Ann Mundey (nee Bentley). Its unclear when he emigrated to Australia but on his passing his obituary indicated it was early in life. He appears to have been in Queensland by 1887 when he married a Jessie Watson, however, it appears they separated not long after. He later met May (Mary) Bruce Hewison (nee Pickett) with the first of their 5 children born in 1892. It appears they never officially married with May passing in 1919 and her death registered under the surname Hewison.

Report in The Evening Telegraph (Charters Towers), 14 Oct 1910, on the opening of the Lissner Park Memorial Kiosk (Boer War Memorial) notes his name is included on the marble tablet containing names of men from Charters Towers who served in the 1st QMI, though incorrectly spelt in the report as W. J. Murphey (almost correctly spelt as J. W. Mundy in earlier report on 5 Sep 1910 in the same newspaper).

When he passed in 1937 an obituary was published in The Northern Miner, 2 Nov 1937, as transcribed below.

Personal- The Northern Miner (Charters Towers), 2 Nov 1937, p. 4.

A man who possessed personal qualities that distinguished him as a citizen and soldier was William Joseph Mundey, who passed away at the age of 73 years at the district hospital last week. Born in Grimsby, England, he came to Australia early in life. With bullock teams he helped to pioneer the Northern areas of the State. When he came down from the Herberton district to the country near Charters Towers, he was associated with the late Mr. Symes, of Bletchington Park. Catching the gold fever in the heydey of this city, he turned his hand to mining, and as building advanced, saw an opportunity as a bricklayer. In this capacity he worked on the erection of some of the city's finest structures, including the present "Northern Miner" building. He also practised the trade at Ravenswood in its better days. In 1899 he was a member of the first contingent of soldiers to leave for the Boer war battlefields, and one of the first four men who enlisted from Charters Towers. Ability to sing a good song and rank with the best of them as a rifle shot won him popularity as a soldier, and when, after surviving the relief of Mafeking, he was invalided home, he bore the rank of sergeant. In comparitively recent times he worked at the Pioneer mill, but a severe accident sustained there about three years ago affected his health, and he had been out of action at Charters Towers ever since. His wife died 18 years ago and of his family of five girls only two survive, Mrs W. Britt, of Plant Street, Charters Towers, and Mrs. E. Fellowes, of Grand Secret.

(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 452; National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 76).